The Operation (REPOST)
by DeutchRemy
Summary: Sam is injured on an offworld mission. This story details the life-saving surgery she undergoes. NOTE: This is a repost of my old story of the same name. I did lots of editing and chapter additions and thought it best to simply delete the old one and repost it with the changes. Please review and provide constructive criticism as you see fit!
1. Chapter 1

Setting: Season 2, sometime after "The Tokra"

Spoilers: Anything up to and including "The Tokra"

Rating: T for some language and medical stuff

POV: Sam throughout

Notes: I have decided to repost this story after doing some editing and chapter additions. Conversations/snippets of chat that Sam overhears, but aren't directed at her, are in italics.

The Operation: Chapter I

I fight for consciousness as blood soaks through my makeshift bandages and onto the white sheet of the gurney beneath me. I can barely keep my eyes open, yet somehow find the strength to weakly push the clear plastic mask away as Dr. Frasier attempts to place it over my face.

"It's alright, Sam, I'm just gonna give you some oxygen." She gives me that warm, doe-like smile of hers and this reassures me; I let Janet secure the mask over my face and even hold it in place myself for several seconds with shaky, clammy fingers, in the same way a toddler might grip a bottle of milk after it is handed to her.

I inhale the gas, the coolness of which is surprisingly soothing, and the thick plastic fogs up with my exhale. I repeat. With each breath of oxygen I begin to feel slightly better, despite the blood loss from the deep shrapnel wounds to my stomach and thigh.

I feel myself begin to move and through a fog - and over the screech of the gurney's wheels - I can hear General Hammond beginning to debrief Colonel O'Neill, but their conversation quickly becomes inaudible as we round the corner and speed down the hallway.

I must have lost consciousness during the trip, because I'm suddenly jostled awake when two nurses grab the corners of the sheet that I'm lying on and hoist me over to a surface just as hard and cold as the gurney. Janet is visible out of the left side of my peripheral vision, striding purposefully into the room with her gloved hands held fingers-up in front of her, asking somebody to please tie her gown.

The warm blanket covering me is pulled away, and from the cold rush of air I realize that I'm naked, save for my underpants. When did that happen? A multitude of EKG leads have been placed on my body - lots on my chest, a few on my arms and legs - and hooked up to a small white monitor, which beeps in an annoying rhythm every thirty seconds or so.

Beep beep beep beepbeep, beep beep beep beepbeep.

An older woman of about fifty, wearing a surgical cap and mask, checks the patency of one of the EKG leads, then replaces the blanket. I feel warmth once again.

There's a pinching in the crook of my right elbow, and I rotate my head to see that an IV has been inserted and hastily secured in place with medical tape. I follow the extension line upwards and can see that it runs through an infusion pump, above which hangs a clear plastic bag of some sort of fluid. My vision is swimming too badly to allow me to read the contents - not that I particularly care at the moment. Janet's voice rings out from across the room, gentle yet firm.

" _Have we pre-medded yet?_ "

" _I administered Ace at 14:39._ "

" _Do you have your ET tubes laid out?_ "

" _Yes, Doctor. I have three different sizes, just in case._ "

" _Good. Is there anyone to open my packs?_ "

A rush of soft-soled footsteps and a different voice, younger and perhaps even nervous sounding. " _Sorry, Ma'am. I have the packs right here. And I got two drapes, since we're doing the stomach and then the thigh._ "

" _Excellent, excellent. Have we gotten a PCV yet?_ "

A sound of breaking glass and a voice echo from across the room. " _Gonna be a few minutes…damn centrifuge wasn't balanced properly._ "

" _Just get it to me when you can, Karen; it's not critical. We're gonna have a unit of O negative standing by anyway._ " The bright light hovering over me is suddenly eclipsed as Janet leans down over me. "You're gonna be okay, honey. We're just gonna put you to sleep, but before you go to sleep I want you to think nice thoughts. Can you do that for me?"

I nod weakly.

"Atta girl. Your dad's been called; he should be here when you wake up. _Alright, let's go ahead and induce and intubate._ "

Out of the corner of my eye I see the woman in the surgical mask - who I presume is the anesthetist - pull a large syringe full of what looks like skim milk off of the vital signs machine…


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Conversations/snippets of chat that Sam overhears, but aren't directed at her, are in italics.

The Operation: Chapter II

I can't breathe. I'm sitting up on the table with the aid of the surgical nurse and anesthetist and choking. On what? I feel like I'm going to vomit. The anesthetist rubs my back.

"It's okay, sweetie, it was just the tube. You feel like you want to throw up?"

I nod. Yes, I feel like I'm going to throw up. I also feel like I'm choking to death.

"Let's give you some oxygen, okay? That might make you feel a bit better. You did great, sweetie!"

A mask is placed over my face, and once again I suck in the cool, odorless gas, and immediately my larynx stops spasming and my stomach settles. I lie back on the bed and notice that I'm now dressed in a white hospital gown and am covered up with two layers of warm blankets that feel simply heavenly.

Is it over? Have they even begun yet? The last thing I remember is seeing the syringe full of milk. I never even saw them inject it…and that was only like, a second ago…

" _Can we get another temp on her? She was a bit cold on her last reading_." Dr. Frasier's soft voice is a welcome sound, but what she's about to propose is not so welcome. " _Let's get a rectal this time, if we can._ "

Even in my drugged state, I manage to protest being rolled over onto my side, feigning pain, and the nurse has to settle for sticking the thermometer in my armpit instead. It beeps and she looks at the readout, then throws another warmed blanket over me for good measure. The anesthetist removes my oxygen mask and swaps it out for a nasal cannula, and then…


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Conversations/snippets of chat that Sam overhears, but aren't directed at her, are in italics.

The Operation: Chapter III

I awaken again…well, just barely…to snippets of random conversation. Wait, when did I even fall back asleep? My brain just cannot wrap itself around what's going on, so I close my eyes and just roll with it.

..." _Suzanne, remember what I told you last time? The paper drapes get thrown out; the blue towels get washed and then autoclaved._ "

" _Oh god, I'm sorry, Doctor, I forgot…_ "

" _It's okay, just remember it for next time._ "…

…" _Um, Doctor? I don't want to alarm anybody but you said you used eleven gauze sponges and I'm only counting ten here…Oh wait, nevermind! The last one's over here!_ "…

…" _Hey Doc! Carter awake yet?"_

 _"No, Colonel, and I'm not permitting visitors until she is."_

 _"Well the mess has jello soooo…I guess I'll put some aside for her._ "…

…" _Her heart rate's elevated, should I give her a bit of hydro?_ "…

I close my eyes once and apparently that's all it takes.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: Conversations/snippets of chat that Sam overhears, but aren't directed at her, are in italics.

The Operation: Chapter IV

When I open my eyes my father's face is inches above mine. I stare into his matching blue eyes for a moment before my own begin to wander lazily, settling on Colonel O'Neill at the foot of my bed.

I don't remember falling asleep again, but I must have, for I have no memories beyond the cannula being placed in my nose. That annoying thing. I swipe at my nose as though I have an itch and dislodge it. Dad picks it up off my chest and reinserts it.

He smiles and begins to stroke my hair, brushing my bangs off of my forehead.

"Hey, sweetie. How you been?"

My brain is still too muddled to do anything but shrug my shoulders and let out a small moan. Determined to do better, I try to clear my throat in an attempt to speak, but doing so makes my belly ache so I give up.

"Does it hurt, baby?"

I nod. I have a vague memory of someone asking about a missing sponge. I wonder if they found it…

"Want me to get Dr. Frasier?"

I shake my head.

"They had to give you some blood, sweetie." He strokes my face and wipes away the tear that is sliding down my cheek. I'm so out of it I'm barely even aware that I'm crying, yet Jack notices.

" _She's crying. She needs drugs. Hey, Doc!_ "

Footsteps, and then Janet's voice: " _Her pain is actually relatively mild right now, Colonel. She's just coming out of the anesthesia; different people react differently to it. Some get loopy, some get dizzy, some get upset. Some even get psychotic. It's actually best if she's allowed to sleep right now and come out of it in her own time._ "

" _Can I stay with her?_ " Dad.

" _Of course, Sir. Just sit with her and try not to disturb her. I'll get you a chair. Oh, and Selmac might want to wait until Sam's more lucid before she decides to say hi._ "

I close my eyes…


End file.
